Tokyo Electric Power Company and Danish energy giant develop offshore wind power market2019-01-10

According to a recent joint statement issued by the Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Danish energy company Ørsted, the two sides have established a new partnership to explore "offshore wind power opportunities" in Japan and overseas.

In November last year, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (owner of the underutilized nuclear facility in Fukushima) said it was conducting an analysis of the seabed of the Choshi Peninsula in eastern Tokyo to determine its suitability for offshore wind farms. This is where the two companies plan to build the first offshore wind turbine.

"We believe that the partnership that combines the extensive expertise of Tokyo Electric Power in Japan's power business with Orsted's unparalleled performance in offshore wind power will help the offshore wind power project on the Choshi Peninsula succeed," said Tomoaki Kobayakawa, President of Tokyo Electric Power. In a statement, “We hope that this first step will pave the way for the development, construction, operation and ownership expansion of offshore wind projects outside the Japanese coastline.”

Although this represents Ørsted's first participation in the Japanese offshore wind industry, the company does have a broader presence in Asia. According to CNBC, it is one of the first offshore wind power projects in Formosa 1 in Taiwan. Not only that, but it also has four offshore wind farms near the coast of Taiwan, with a total capacity of about 2,400 megawatts.

As for the prospect of offshore wind power in Japan, Wood Mackenzie analysts expect that by 2027, Japan and neighboring South Korea will have more than 2 GW of overseas wind power facilities. Given the comments made by Tokyo Electric Power Company President Tomoaki Kobayakawa in July 2018, this may even be a low estimate. Tomoaki Kobayakawa promised that the company hopes to develop 6-7 GW of renewable energy in Japan and overseas, mainly on offshore wind power.